For about the past month or so, my camera and photo gear has been living quite comfortably in a Tenba Shootout Ultralight Backpack. The bag is one of Tenba’s smaller backpack offerings making it perfect for short trips, airplane carry-ons, and casual shooting occasions. Depending on your setup, you can easily fit 2 SLR bodies and about 3-4 lenses in its configurable velcro insert.

The bag offers a really versatile option for photographers who aren’t necessarily looking to just buy a camera bag, but a bag that can function as a regular day pack as well. If you find yourself needing a general backpack without the camera inserts, just take the velcro insert out and you’re presented with a standard-sized backpack with plenty of room for books, a laptop, and other miscellaneous goods.

The Tenba Shootout Ultralight Backpack is made from water-repellant diamond ripstop which keeps your bag really light and relatively dry in bad weather conditions. And you don’t need to worry about your gear getting soaked on the inside as the bag also features waterproof zippers on all zippers leading into the interior pockets.

One of the best things about this backpack is the added security feature that prevents your gear from being accessed easily from the main large front panel opening. If you reverse the camera insert, the only want to get at your gear is to take the backpack off and open the back-side flap. This is great in crowded areas where somebody might try to sneak open your front flap.

As for comfort and stability, the Shootout Ultralight Backpack offers it all. It’s got a rather rigid back that’s padded so you don’t feel your gear poking you in the back. It’s got a waist belt clip for stabilizing those heavy loads (a bit overkill for the size of this bag I think) and padded shoulder straps to top it off.

Overall, it’s a really great bag that’s going to protect your camera and photo gear really well. Lots of extra pockets to fit card holders, grey cards, notebooks, pens, and other small necessities you might find yourself reaching for during your days out shooting.